Maintaining your gutters and rhone pipes is a most effective maintenance task for every building. The gutters take all the rain from your roof and if anything stops them taking that water away, it could end up soaking your walls. If you live in an area with lots of trees or birds, get your gutters cleaned every year.
What to look out for
Typical signs that you may have a gutter problem would be damp stains under a moulded gutter. Keep a regular eye on the gutters looking particularly for damp and stains as these can be the first sign of leaks and overflows. Cracks in the lintels underneath are sometimes the result of rot problems inside. Quick action can prevent further damage to your decorations and the structure of your building.
Cleaning gutters
If you can see plant growth in your gutter, the chances are that the gutter is blocked, so water is likely overflowing the gutter. Leaves and debris also clog gutters. At Edinburgh Block Management we offer roof and gutter maintenance as part of our core services. Cleaning gutters at least once a year around Autumn time. This will ensure there are no blockages with heavy rainfall later in the year.
Our winters are getting wetter with more frequent rainstorms so gutter maintenance becomes even more crucial.
In older style tenements, the cast iron cutters and bolts that fix the joints in sections can rust and corrode. This is usually difficult to check from ground level. Edinburgh Block Management would ensure this is checked on your buildings annual inspection. Moulded gutters were made of cast iron like half round gutters but sit on a stone corbel. Sometimes this is referred to as an OG (ornamental gutter), referring to the profiled edge of a cast iron gutter or rhone pipe.
Moulded gutters can be replaced with cast iron or cast aluminium or heavy gauge pressed aluminium. Glass fibre is a possible replacement material. Cast iron gutters are long lasting but they should be painted inside and out before installation. If a gutter is being replaced, it may be difficult to make watertight joints between different sizes or shapes of gutter. It is worth getting a lead under-
cloak fitted as a safety measure. Ensure the gutters are flow tested before any scaffolding Is taken down. Its usually best to ask for professional help and ensure you hire a builder or trades people who have the skills for the job.
More information on this subject can be found here from https://underoneroof.scot/ who provide excellent impartial advice on repairs and maintenance for flat owners in Scotland.
Edinburgh Block Management will ensure our trusted and reputable contractors will look after your gutters and drainpipes – get in touch today if you wish to know more about the Core Services package.
Our roof maintenance involves an initial written and photographic report, gutter and downpipe clean, including up to 20 slate/tile replacements. Dependent on the number of properties involved in the block a further inspection and a clean would occur. Work identified at inspections or due to a call-out will be priced with additional quotations as required.
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